England’s nine European competitors have congested schedules to negotiate over the festive period.
And for Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers, there will be fears that their players will be victims of some fatigue-led rotation.
There’s even some Carabao Cup quarter-final action to worry about, too!
With that in mind, let’s check out these teams’ full schedules through to early January. In doing so, we can perhaps pinpoint the Gameweeks in which rotation might happen.
ARSENAL
- Wednesday 26 November: Champions League – Bayern Munich (h)
- Sunday 30 November: Gameweek 13 – Chelsea (a)
- Wednesday 3 December: Gameweek 14 – Brentford (h)
- Saturday 6 December: Gameweek 15 – Aston Villa (a)
- Wednesday 10 December: Champions League – Club Brugge (a)
- Saturday 13 December: Gameweek 16 – Wolves (h)
- Saturday 20 December: Gameweek 17 – Everton (a)
- Tuesday 23 December: Carabao Cup – Crystal Palace (h)
- Saturday 27 December: Gameweek 18 – Brighton (h)
- Tuesday 30 December: Gameweek 19 – Aston Villa (h)
- Saturday 3 January: Gameweek 20 – Bournemouth (a)
- Thursday 8 January: Gameweek 21 – Liverpool (h)
Mikel Arteta will surely be reluctant to bench his big players against Bayern Munich tonight and Chelsea on Sunday. The same goes for the trip to in-form Aston Villa in Gameweek 15, given how tricky that fixture has been in recent years (a defeat in 2023, an undeserved win in 2024).
You do wonder, therefore, if Gameweek 14’s clash with Brentford – the first midweek round of the season – could be viewed as an opportune time to rest and rotate, particularly given the squad depth Arteta has available to him.
A full week of rest follows the juicy-looking Gameweek 16 fixture against last-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers. The hope will also be that, as Arteta did against Slavia Prague, he spares some key figures in what should be a routine Champions League tie against Club Brugge 72 hours beforehand.
Could we also get plenty of changes for the Carabao Cup quarter-final? Arteta made 10 in round four against another Premier League opponent in Brighton and Hove Albion.
The good news is that the subsequent Gameweek 18-21 schedule is pretty generous: Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday-Thursday is about as good as it gets.
A lack of travelling over the festive period will likely help with players’ recovery. Of the five matches from December 23-January 8, four are at home.
ASTON VILLA
- Thursday 27 November: Europa League – Young Boys (h)
- Sunday 30 November: Gameweek 13 – Wolves (h)
- Wednesday 3 December: Gameweek 14 – Brighton (a)
- Saturday 6 December: Gameweek 15 – Arsenal (h)
- Thursday 11 December: Europa League – Basel (a)
- Sunday 14 December: Gameweek 16 – West Ham (a)
- Sunday 21 December: Gameweek 17 – Manchester United (h)
- Saturday 27 December: Gameweek 18 – Chelsea (a)
- Tuesday 30 December: Gameweek 19 – Arsenal (a)
- Saturday 3 January: Gameweek 20 – Nottingham Forest (h)
- Wednesday 7 January: Gameweek 21 – Crystal Palace (a)
Villa suffered a painfully early exit from the Carabao Cup, something which eases their fixture congestion compared to a few other top sides.
Unai Emery’s men are currently in the ‘straight to the knock-outs’ section of the Europa League table, but the head coach won’t want any slip-ups against Swiss sides Young Boys or Basel, having suffered a shock loss to Go Ahead Eagles.
The trouble is, he’s also unlikely to take it easy at home against former club Arsenal, and that’s the weekend before Basel. Could, therefore, the Gameweek 13 clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers see a key player or two rested? The likes of Morgan Rogers (£6.9m) tend to start every league game (Emery has rotated more in Europe) but, for instance, if Lucas Digne (£4.5m) gets the nod to start against Young Boys, might we see the more attacking Ian Maatsen (£4.2m) come in to face Wolves? It’s all eyes on Thursday’s teamsheet, then.
The Gameweek 16 visit to West Ham United is one to monitor, too, for similar reasons.
Thereafter, it’s not too bad. There is a week on either side of the Manchester United fixture in Gameweek 17, for instance.
Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday-Wednesday is not the worst run over New Year, either. Three of those games are tough-looking away games, however, so Gameweek 20 at home to Nottingham Forest is arguably the most rotation-prone fixture over this spell.
CHELSEA
- Tuesday 25 November: Champions League – FC Barcelona (h)
- Sunday 30 November: Gameweek 13 – Arsenal (h)
- Wednesday 3 December: Gameweek 14 – Leeds (a)
- Saturday 6 December: Gameweek 15 – Bournemouth (a)
- Tuesday 9 December: Champions League – Atalanta (a)
- Saturday 13 December: Gameweek 16 – Everton (h)
- Tuesday 16 December: Carabao Cup – Cardiff City (a)
- Saturday 20 December: Gameweek 17 – Newcastle (a)
- Saturday 27 December: Gameweek 18 – Aston Villa (h)
- Tuesday 30 December: Gameweek 19 – Bournemouth (h)
- Sunday 4 January: Gameweek 20 – Manchester City (a)
- Wednesday 7 January: Gameweek 21 – Fulham (a)
You’d think Enzo Maresca will field his best possible XI against Arsenal, leaving Gameweek 14’s visit to Leeds United as a very possible rotation point.
Remember the early-December win at Southampton last season, in what was the first Premier League midweek round of the campaign? Maresca made seven starting XI changes for that game, so there is a precedent.
Moises Caicedo (£6.1m) had a breather in Gameweek 12, with Joao Pedro (£7.5m) rested against Barcelona. Could the likes of Enzo Fernandez (£6.7m) and Marc Cucurella (£6.1m) be spared at Elland Road, then?
Beyond that, the positive news is that Chelsea have been drawn to play League One outfit Cardiff City in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals. Expect Maresca to use the fringe players in Wales, as he did in round four at Molineux.
A rest for the regulars at the Cardiff City Stadium would ensure Caicedo et al play Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday-Saturday-Saturday from Gameweeks 15-18. Maresca could even rest some big names for that one other midweek game against Atalanta.
Not bad indeed, and hopefully leaving them in good stead for the fixture rush over New Year.
CRYSTAL PALACE
- Thursday 27 November: Conference League – Strasbourg (a)
- Sunday 30 November: Gameweek 13 – Manchester United (h)
- Wednesday 3 December: Gameweek 14 – Burnley (a)
- Sunday 7 December: Gameweek 15 – Fulham (a)
- Thursday 11 December: Conference League – Shelbourne (a)
- Sunday 14 December: Gameweek 16 – Manchester City (h)
- Thursday 18 December: Conference League – KuPS (a)
- Saturday 20 December: Gameweek 17 – Leeds (a)
- Tuesday 23 December: Carabao Cup – Arsenal (a)
- Sunday 28 December: Gameweek 18 – Tottenham (h)
- Thursday 1 January: Gameweek 19 – Fulham (h)
- Sunday 4 January: Gameweek 20 – Newcastle (a)
- Wednesday 7 January: Gameweek 21 – Aston Villa (h)
Palace unquestionably have the toughest run over the next month.
There are 13 fixtures to come over the next 42 days, which is more than any other Premier League club has to navigate.
The carnage begins this weekend with a midday Gameweek 13 fixture! That gives them a tight turnaround of 62 hours from full-time in Strasbourg on Thursday to Sunday’s clash with Manchester United.
Thursday-Sunday turnarounds are nothing new to Palace, of course, but even by their standards, the next six weeks are brutal.
The most savage period comes from mid-December onwards. As you’ll know by now, the placing of their EFL Cup semi-final against Arsenal on December 23 creates a Thursday-Saturday-Tuesday run.
The hope would be that the first of those games, away at Kuopion Palloseura (KuPS), is a UEFA Conference League dead rubber. The Eagles need to win the next two Conference League games for that to be a possibility. If not, and a strong-ish side is needed in Finland, the trip to Leeds in Gameweek 17, exactly two days later, could be a real problem. Remember that the Carabao Cup quarter-final follows it.
As for rotation, Jean-Philippe Mateta (£8.1m) owners will hope the now-fit-again Eddie Nketiah (£5.4m) gets the next three Conference League games. Even then, Mateta’s 59th-minute withdrawal in Gameweek 12 was a reminder that we’re entering into managed minutes country – and the Gameweek 14 trip to Burnley is a game where you could envisage a shorter run-out for Mateta, one way or another. Ismaila Sarr (£6.7m) heads off to AFCON either before/just after Gameweek 16, so you’d imagine Glasner will use the winger as much as possible before then.
At the back, Chris Richards (£4.6m) is one to monitor; remember what Glasner said about “managed minutes” four weeks ago. Daniel Munoz (£5.9m), however, is yet to be benched in any competitive fixture since Glasner took charge…!
LIVERPOOL
- Wednesday 26 November: Champions League – PSV (h)
- Sunday 30 November: Gameweek 13 – West Ham (a)
- Wednesday 3 December: Gameweek 14 – Sunderland (h)
- Saturday 6 December: Gameweek 15 – Leeds (a)
- Tuesday 9 December: Champions League – Inter Milan (a)
- Saturday 13 December: Gameweek 16 – Brighton (h)
- Saturday 20 December: Gameweek 17 – Tottenham (a)
- Saturday 27 December: Gameweek 18 – Wolves (h)
- Thursday 1 January: Gameweek 19 – Leeds (h)
- Sunday 4 January: Gameweek 20 – Fulham (a)
- Thursday 8 January: Gameweek 21 – Arsenal (a)
Like Villa, Liverpool don’t have the Carabao Cup to worry about thanks to their early elimination.
That means the Reds’ only non-Premier League action until the FA Cup weekend in early January is a pair of Champions League fixtures – one tonight at home to PSV, who have only won once in the competition this season, and another away at Inter Milan.
That Inter match could be absolutely pivotal, so the Gameweek 15 trip to Leeds United is one where perhaps Arne Slot could change things around. That’s the fourth of five matches over the next 14 days, and you could envisage Slot taking a few more chances with his starting XI than he would against an impressive Sunderland side and Inter.
Not that the injury list is allowing him much flexibility at the moment…
After that, though, fairly plain sailing. There are no midweek matches between Gameweeks 16 and 18, while a Saturday-Thursday-Sunday-Thursday run over New Year is pretty darned good. The Leeds United game in Gameweek 20 might see a bit of minute management, with Fulham following less than 72 hours later, but many other clubs have it far worse.
A reminder that Mohamed Salah (£14.2m) will depart for Africa either before or just after Gameweek 16.
MANCHESTER CITY
- Tuesday 25 November: Champions League – Bayer Leverkusen (h)
- Saturday 29 November: Gameweek 13 – Leeds (h)
- Tuesday 2 December: Gameweek 14 – Fulham (a)
- Saturday 6 December: Gameweek 15 – Sunderland (h)
- Wednesday 10 December: Champions League – Real Madrid (a)
- Sunday 14 December: Gameweek 16 – Crystal Palace (a)
- Wednesday 17 December: Carabao Cup – Brentford (h)
- Saturday 20 December: Gameweek 17 – West Ham (h)
- Saturday 27 December: Gameweek 18 – Nottingham Forest (a)
- Thursday 1 January: Gameweek 19 – Sunderland (a)
- Sunday 4 January: Gameweek 20 – Chelsea (h)
- Wednesday 7 January: Gameweek 21 – Brighton (h)
City, like title rivals Arsenal, have the benefit of a home tie for their Carabao Cup quarter-final (versus Brentford), which takes place between Gameweeks 17 and 18. In keeping with previous rounds, you could envisage Pep Guardiola rotating heavily for that.
In a massive boost to those targeting City players for the Gameweek 13 clash with Leeds United (on a Free Hit or otherwise), Guardiola also made 10 changes for last night’s home defeat to Bayer Leverkusen. The expected minutes of Erling Haaland (£14.9m) and co for Saturday just went up!
The question then is: can the regulars start five straight matches at home and abroad, without rotation, before the Brentford cup game? The good news, at least, is that the trip to Real Madrid is in a Saturday-Wednesday-Sunday week, allowing an extra day of recovery on either side.
As for Christmas and New Year, the Sunderland match in Gameweek 19 finishes less than 68 hours before the visit of Chelsea. Might Guardiola spare some bodies on Wearside? It’s a risky ploy, given how strong the Mackems have been on home soil, but the Black Cats will be weakened by AFCON exits.
The schedule immediately before that Sunderland game is, at least, very favourable, allowing for decent breathers between Gameweeks 16-19. Perhaps fatigue won’t even be an issue at the Stadium of Light.
NEWCASTLE UNITED
- Tuesday 25 November: Champions League – Marseille (a)
- Saturday 29 November: Gameweek 13 – Everton (a)
- Tuesday 2 December: Gameweek 14 – Tottenham (h)
- Saturday 6 December: Gameweek 15 – Burnley (h)
- Wednesday 10 December: Champions League – Bayer Leverkusen (a)
- Sunday 14 December: Gameweek 16 – Sunderland (a)
- Wednesday 17 December: Carabao Cup – Fulham (h)
- Saturday 20 December: Gameweek 17 – Chelsea (h)
- Friday 26 December: Gameweek 18 – Manchester United (a)
- Tuesday 30 December: Gameweek 19 – Burnley (a)
- Sunday 4 January: Gameweek 20 – Crystal Palace (h)
- Wednesday 7 January: Gameweek 21 – Leeds (h)
As their form has been this season, Newcastle’s upcoming fixtures are a bit of a mixed bag.
At first glance, the Burnley (h) match in Gameweek 15 may be viewed as a chance to rack up some early goals before resting key players for the following midweek’s journey to Bayer Leverkusen.
The Germany trip, a Tyne–Wear derby, a Carabao Cup quarter-final and the visit of Chelsea then follow, so it’s possible that Eddie Howe spares some big names – or at least takes them off early – against the Clarets.
Howe’s policy of rotation has been more piecemeal, however. Nick Woltemade (£7.4m) and Lewis Hall (£5.2m) were rested against Marseille, for instance. Bruno Guimaraes (£6.6m) and Joelinton (£5.9m) were spared completely against Bournemouth in Gameweek 5. The wingers tend to float in and out of the side. Rather than one fixture being a risk, different players may be affected by different games.
A boost over the festive period is that Newcastle contest the only Boxing Day fixture. That gives them a Friday-Tuesday-Sunday-Wednesday schedule, which could be a lot worse.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST
- Thursday 27 November: Europa League – Malmo (h)
- Sunday 30 November: Gameweek 13 – Brighton (h)
- Wednesday 3 December: Gameweek 14 – Wolves (a)
- Saturday 6 December: Gameweek 15 – Everton (a)
- Thursday 11 December: Europa League – Utrecht (a)
- Sunday 14 December: Gameweek 16 – Tottenham (h)
- Monday 22 December: Gameweek 17 – Fulham (a)
- Saturday 27 December: Gameweek 18 – Manchester City (h)
- Tuesday 30 December: Gameweek 19 – Everton (h)
- Saturday 3 January: Gameweek 20 – Aston Villa (a)
- Tuesday 6 January: Gameweek 21 – West Ham (a)
The hope for existing and prospective owners of Forest players is that the next two Europa League outings should be straightforward enough for the second string to navigate. Both Malmo and Utrecht are currently languishing near the bottom of that competition’s league phase, with zero wins and three losses from four.
The likes of Elliot Anderson (£5.3m), Matz Sels (£4.7m) and Murillo (£5.3m) were rested last time in Europe, while Morgan Gibbs-White (£7.3m) won’t be risked this week.
Injuries and ineligibility may make wholesale changes impossible in the Europa League, however.
If Ange Postecoglou was still at the helm, the Gameweek 14 trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers – the middle match in a Sunday-Wednesday-Saturday turnaround – would cause the rotation klaxon to sound.
However, Dyche has historically resisted the urge to rotate much domestically, even in congested periods in December. There’s less of a concern with him at the Forest helm, then.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
- Wednesday 26 November: Champions League – PSG (a)
- Saturday 29 November: Gameweek 13 – Fulham (h)
- Tuesday 2 December: Gameweek 14 – Newcastle (a)
- Saturday 6 December: Gameweek 15 – Brentford (h)
- Tuesday 9 December: Champions League – Slavia Praha (h)
- Sunday 14 December: Gameweek 16 – Nottingham Forest (a)
- Saturday 20 December: Gameweek 17 – Liverpool (h)
- Sunday 28 December: Gameweek 18 – Crystal Palace (a)
- Thursday 1 January: Gameweek 19 – Brentford (a)
- Sunday 4 January: Gameweek 20 – Sunderland (h)
- Wednesday 7 January: Gameweek 21 – Bournemouth (a)
Like Villa, Liverpool and Forest, there’s no Carabao Cup for Tottenham Hotspur to worry about anymore.
There should also be no concern in Gameweeks 16-18, with six and eight days in between those fixtures.
The unpredictability may ratchet up a notch in Gameweeks 19-21, with three Premier League matches to juggle in the space of seven days. The turnaround from Brentford in Gameweek 19 to Sunderland in Gameweek 20 is just 65 hours, with little more than 74 hours between the Black Cats and Bournemouth.
The good news is that the two away fixtures on either side of New Year are both in London, so there’s not much travelling involved.
Like Howe, Thomas Frank tends to drip-feed his changes. The three full-backs are in regular rotation. So are the myriad frontmen, with Dominic Solanke (£7.2m) soon to be added to that mix. Xavi Simons (£6.6m) has had two benchings in Europe, three in the Premier League.
Given the minutes risks, Spurs’ unpredictability and few stand-out fixtures over Christmas, FPL managers may find it easy to give the Lilywhites a wide berth.
